The NBA Draft 2024 takes place in Brooklyn, New York at midnight tonight UK time — and there are several major talking points.
One is Bronny James, the son of LA Lakers forward, four-time MVP and four-time NBA champion LeBron James, thought by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time.
There is also much anticipation about the top two projected picks of the draft, French starlets Alexandre Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher, and the possibility of Quinn Ellis becoming the first British player to be drafted since 2017.
First pic
Bronny James’ future
Bronny James had an underwhelming season with the USC Trojans in college, with the 6ft 2ins guard only averaging 4.8 points and 2.1 assists.
He suffered a heart attack on the court in practice in July 2023 due to a heart defect, slowing down his college basketball career and causing him to be ranked only 54th in the draft class.
The Lakers have the 55th pick of the draft, meaning there is a good chance that Bronny will end up sharing the court with his father.
“The last year I play, will be with my son,” said Lebron in 2022. He would be the first player to play with his son in NBA history.
However Bronny James is a sought-after player, having received offers to work out with 10 teams, only accepting the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. This poses a threat as Bronny may not slide to the 55th pick.
This is a dilemma for the Lakers, who also have the 17th pick of the draft, not knowing if they should play it safe, by drafting him with the 17th pick, and passing up on a more highly rated draft prospect, or hoping that he is still available with the 55th pick.
Where will Sarr and Risacher go?
The Atlanta Hawks won the first pick in the draft lottery, despite only a three per cent chance of doing so, with the Washington Wizards winning the second pick.
Alexandre Sarr is projected to be a No1 or No2 pick in the draft. The 7ft French center for the Perth Wildcats averaged 9.4 points per game at only 19 years old, making him one of the most exciting draft prospects of the year.
However, Sarr recently declined the opportunity to join a workout with the Hawks, without saying why, suggesting that he may not be the first overall pick of the draft.